Raptor Flip-Top VV Mod with 20A, 120W dc/dc converter...
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Wow thanks for the pic. Very much appreciated. Trying this soon.
Is someone buying all these 120W chips up to build a production box? What's the story here? I saw chips on eBay for 3 to 4 times their value and I also saw a completed mod for sale for an obscene price! 
Is someone buying all these 120W chips up to build a production box? What's the story here? I saw chips on eBay for 3 to 4 times their value and I also saw a completed mod for sale for an obscene price!
Short answer is many people are, and what you are seeing is supply and demand effects.
Is someone buying all these 120W chips up to build a production box? What's the story here? I saw chips on eBay for 3 to 4 times their value and I also saw a completed mod for sale for an obscene price!
There are a lot of tinkerers around. Some make a bunch and try to sell them, others make a few for themselves and friends and some think they can make a box, but might not deliver and they end up buying and of course there are the peeps to whom a few hundred bucks is chump change and they just buy because they can and these are currently "cool" as there are no mass produced equivalent out (yet).
I just finished my first one for my personal use. I'm not 100% happy with it, so I'll make another. This one was made according to the p-fet and n-fet schematics (added the led and resistor for polarity warning, which Mamu left out). No master switch, because I did not see a point with fire button chained with a master switch. What I don't like on this one is the lack of voltage display, granted there is no room for it with the 26650s. It has a piece of circuit board on the bottom for battery connector with thick bare copper and keystone battery clips on top, only because there are no 26650 battery caddies available. Manufacturers, hello!
I have noticed an odd behavior when batteries are low on charge around 3.4v each and I don't understand why it happens. My coil is around 0.35 ohm and I can crank it to full throttle at 6.08 volts. When batteries get low, but not low enough for 5.8v zener to kick in, the box fires poorly at full blast, but if I then drop the volts to around 4.5v, it fires so much harder. I guess it just can't pull enough amps from the batteries at that point? Anyone care to speculate why? (I haven't driven my batteries low enough for the zener to block the firing, maybe I should test that too, it should be around 3.1volts per battery, right? 5.8v + 0.4v internal = 6.2v. 6.2v / 2 batts = 3.1v per batt.
Here's a pic:
Not much to see there, fire button, atty, pot knob and raptor chip inside unshrinked heat shrink tubing. I'm going thru at least 10ml of juice a day (dropped down to 3mg). Insanity and loving it.
Edit: Click the image for a bigger image. How do I post bigger images to begin with?
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Congratz on your new mod, tex!!
This is not odd behavior, but expected behavior.
These buck converters require a minimum input to output ratio of around 0.5v. When the input voltage is near the output voltage the converter can't put out the volts as it needs a margin to take a higher input voltage and step it down to a lower output voltage. Also, you have to consider the input voltage drop under load, not the unloaded voltage. Also, the batts sag more under load when near the min input to output margin when your running output and amps at full tilt.
If you had a voltage reader you would see that you're not getting an output of 6.08 volts under load when the input under load is on the very low side. That output is lower then lower then lower until the converter no longer fires. And you know the output is not what has been set because you are getting a wushy hit.
If you lower the output volts, you've gained some of that input to output margin back so the converter will resume firing normally.
This is not odd behavior, but expected behavior.
These buck converters require a minimum input to output ratio of around 0.5v. When the input voltage is near the output voltage the converter can't put out the volts as it needs a margin to take a higher input voltage and step it down to a lower output voltage. Also, you have to consider the input voltage drop under load, not the unloaded voltage. Also, the batts sag more under load when near the min input to output margin when your running output and amps at full tilt.
If you had a voltage reader you would see that you're not getting an output of 6.08 volts under load when the input under load is on the very low side. That output is lower then lower then lower until the converter no longer fires. And you know the output is not what has been set because you are getting a wushy hit.
If you lower the output volts, you've gained some of that input to output margin back so the converter will resume firing normally.
This makes sense, and then additionally questioning the function of the zener comes into play when using the box, but not at full throttle, basically as a safety measure telling you that "hey, batteries are out no matter what, recharge us", cause we ain't firing no matter what?
I think I need to order some straight VG and dilute my juice, 10ml+ a day costs like a pack of smokes, LOL!!!!!!!!
I liked your build. Pretty clean, you don't see clean raptor builds much lol.
Unflavored juice is very cheap even with nicotine in it. I vape unflavored 6mg for practically free it feels like.
Is someone buying all these 120W chips up to build a production box? What's the story here? I saw chips on eBay for 3 to 4 times their value and I also saw a completed mod for sale for an obscene price!
The chips went too the makers of dream box, phyclone, the beast, a bunch of people building personal boxes, a bunch of people building boxes to sell, bunch of people buying chips to flip.
Personally I bought a handful to build a robot.
Yay, I was right. And thanks Mamu, that was an educational video. I know just enough about electronics to be dangerous, but I do ask questions so I can learn.
So I am confused on resistors to pick up on this build. I am unsure what resister needs to between ON/OFF and ground. Is it supposed to be the 4.7Kohm as the picture indicates or a 7.5Kohm like Mamu posted on her parts list? Without going through all the posts on this thread I am not 100% sure if this has been asked before or not so I appologize if it has.
Follow the wiring guide for what parts are used and ignore the parts list posted in past posts - I cannot edit those posts. I can edit and upload a new wiring guide though when parts or wiring changes as that's an external link so thank goodness for that.
So are pins 10 and 3 tied together on the board or do they need to be tied together externally? I was wondering becausl I'd like to wire mine like this. I can add a jumper if needed, i just would rather save the space.
Also, is this correct? lol
Also, is this correct? lol
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Your image is missing the polarity indication led and resistor (they are not required for functionality, but a nice feature).
Oh, where's the 220ohm resistor from the pot?
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